Hittade

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Hittade (hee-ta-day), meaning found in Swedish, is a musical representation my personal growth during my first month living in Piteå, Sweden. When one moves to a new environment it is often intimidating and overwhelming. I found solace when closing the door to practice and compose, for the instruments were the only things familiar to me in the foreign land. The piece begins with an ethereal improvisation by all members of the ensemble, building tension and anticipation for what is to come. The ambiguity is then broken by a simple, rhythmic motif played by the marimbist in E dorian. The piece melds from one distinct section to another, as if telling a story of discovery and exploration.

Maria Finkelmeier is a passionate performer, dedicated educator, creative composer and organized advocate for the arts. Combining these skills, she is exploring the European music scene from Piteå, Sweden. Striving to cross cultural barriers, Maria aims to help build an international community at Piteå’s Institution for Music and Media as an administrator in the international office and educator in the percussion department. She regularly performs and records new works for solo and ensemble with her group Ensemble Evolution.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Maria achieved her music education from The Ohio State University and Eastman School of Music, where she earned a Masters degree along with the prestigious Performer’s Certificate and Arts Leadership Certificate. Maria has had the pleasure to work with great teachers including Anders Åstrand, Michael Burritt, Bill Cahn, Charles “Chip” Ross, Susan Powell and Joe Krygier.

Maria enjoys playing in various ensembles, bringing energy to any genre. In 2008 she was selected to perform in Chihuahua, Mexico with the Eastman Broadband Ensemble. In 2010 she toured northern Europe and recorded with the Baltic Youth Philharmonic, under the baton of Kristjan Järvi. Maria also feels driven to share the percussive arts with eager individuals regardless of level or background. She was awarded a grant from the Golisano Foundation in Rochester, New York to create the class ‘Drummin’ at Dazzle’ for disabled and inner-city kids in 2009. The following year she was a guest teacher at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China where she taught drum-set and conducted the orchestra.

Maria is continually seeking performance and creative opportunities for herself and her colleagues around the world. She uses these journeys to inspire new ideas, compositions, and adventures. For more information see mariafinkelmeier.com.

With its accessible instrumentation and minimal technical demands, this eight-minute quartet will work well as a feature for an advanced high school or undergraduate percussion ensemble. The incessant character, along with groove, makes it enjoyable for the audience and performers alike.

The composition is based in E Dorian. The solo marimba writing is not virtuosic; rather, it merges well with the ensemble. The soloist must be able to execute single independent (inside and outside), double vertical, and double lateral (inside and outside) strokes. The instrumentation within the accompaniment offers a void to be filled by the marimba voice; the predominant use of various metallic instruments and membranophones offer a nice contrast to the marimba resulting in a well blended texture. The work is balanced and the interplay between ensemble members is superb.

“Hittade” means “found” in Swedish. The work’s initial statement unfolds into many sections until it finally returns to its original form. The composer uses this metaphor to speak about her move from the United States to Sweden.